1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an internet presentation system and more specifically to an interactive web-based utility which enables a user to prepare, control access of, and purchase presentation files over the internet.
2. Description of the Related Art
Today, most users create their presentations on a computer using stand-alone application software. If a desktop computer is used to create a presentation and a different computer, such as a laptop, is then used to give the presentation, the software for creating the presentation must be installed on both computers. Usually, both computers must have the same version of the software; otherwise, one computer may not be able to correctly read the other's data file. The presentation file must therefore be transferred from the desktop to the laptop, which is typically done using a transferable storage device such as a Zip™ drive or floppy disks, or by using a local network. Even after loading the application software onto the laptop and transferring the files, there may be difficulties in assuring the laptop display the most current version of data objects within the presentation.
Situations may also arise where a user is at, or in route to, a presentation site while a coworker back at the home office needs to make changes to the presentation. Transferring and coordinating changes to the presentation file may be difficult, depending on the circumstances. A File may get corrupted during transfer by e-mail, and may not be reliable. The problems are compiled if the presentation on the desktop computer uses data objects linked to a database not accessible by the notebook computer, so that even if the presentation file is transferred to the laptop computer, the laptop computer will not be able to reproduce the presentation since it does not have access to the database storing the linked data objects.
An attempt to overcome some of these limitations is presented in U.S. Pat. No. 5,781,190 wherein a presentation saving utility attempts to save many of a presentation's attributes into re-installable, presentation packaged. For example, if the original presentation file has data objects linked to a database, the saving utility will replace the links with copies of the current data values. Additionally, a functional copy of the presentation application itself is added to the presentation package. When the presentation is transferred to another computer, such as a laptop computer, the presentation package is re-installed onto the laptop computer. However, since a functional presentation application is included, along with the presentation file, image objects and data objects, the re-installable, presentation package can be very large and may span multiple floppy disks. This not only makes it difficult to transfer, but also complicates management of the presentation since the entire presentation package would be unusable if any of the floppy disks is misplaced. Additionally, this approach does not address the issue of coordinated access to a presentation file by multiple users, such as when a person at a home office needs to edit a presentation that is to be presented by another individual at a different location. Additionally, this approach requires that both machines be compatible with each other since both must support the same application software.
Another issue of concern is maintaining control of one's presentation file after it has been made available to others. That is, it is likely that when the owner of a presentation file gives someone a copy of the presentation file, the person receiving the copy may modify it such that multiple version of the presentation file may exist without the owner's consent. This problem is exasperated as the person who originally received the copy of the presentation file, in turn makes a new copy for someone else, who then makes more copies for more people.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a presentation access system by which an individual may be more selective of who may obtain a copy of a presentation file.
It is another object of the presentation to better control who receives modifiable versions of a presentation file, and who receives non-modifiable version of a presentation file.
It is still another objection of the present invention to provide a system for providing an internet presentation file access service to multiple remote users for a fee.